In the second part of the saints.com.au 2007 squad preview, midfield coach Anthony Rock gives us the rundown on how his players are tracking for the season ahead.

Steven Baker: "His pre-season has been fantastic. He’s said that his preparation, the year before this pre-season, wasn't as good, so he's really put everything into this pre-season. He's really, really fit. His back does get very stiff, but he's really fought right through that."

Luke Ball: "Luke's been another guy that has been restricted by injuries in previous years. But he's had a full pre-season and, all things going well, he should be set for a big year."

Shane Birss: "Shane's a smart player. His pre-season was hampered by a foot injury, but he's got himself back on track. He's just got a little bit of work to do to get up to AFL elite running standard. He's got that potential and he just hasn't reached that at the moment."

Jason Blake: "Jason will be in the midfield and I look after him. He's got elite endurance, but unfortunately for him he's had to play in the ruck in previous years. I know the coach doesn't want to play him there, because we've obviously got that heavy emphasis on having a dual ruck combination. That will release Jason to do a variety of jobs. He's basically going to be used as a utility, whether that's a run-with role or a position in the forward line as a lead-up player. He'll have a variety of roles and he'll also play on the wing on the taller players, so he's got a few strings to his bow."

Nick Dal Santo: "He's a very impressive individual. He works really well. He had a delayed start to his pre-season, but as soon as he got back, he hasn't put a foot wrong and his pre-season has been outstanding. He's got some areas to still improve, but he's a well-balanced footballer that opposition teams have to worry about."

Aaron Fiora: "Obviously it's a make or break situation for Aaron. He's in that middle tier of players that have been there for a while and the expectation on him is to step up to the plate this year. The coach is really going to give him as much confidence as he needs and give him every opportunity and hopefully Aaron can realise his potential. He was a high draft a long time ago – not that that necessarily means anything – but he's been in the system for quite a while and we're hoping that he can push up and elevate himself into a good solid player week-in-week-out."

Brendon Goddard: "He's another one that has had a very good pre-season. He's very instructive out on the training track and another that's in that in-between position, like Jason Blake. He can plug holes, play forward or back, and I know Ross [Lyon] is very keen to develop him as a big midfielder. He's got a long way to go to consistently [fill that role], but he's certainly had a taste of that in the pre-season. Hopefully down the track he can turn into a midfielder."

Robert Harvey: "The coach is looking after Rob. Obviously he's a champion and has been around for a long period of time and when you see him train you can understand why. He's an elite player of the competition and has been for a long period of time. To be honest, his presence, along with Lenny Hayes, is one of the things that made my decision easier to come to St Kilda. Even though Rob's only got one year left, it'll be great for even myself to learn something from him. His record speaks for itself."

Lenny Hayes: "Lenny's making really good progress from his knee injury. They're saying he'll play in round one, but we don't really want to push him in any sense. He'll be ready when he's ready, but he's training fully this week. He's got leadership qualities written all over him, so we're really looking forward to getting him back."

Andrew McQualter: "The common theme within football over the last two or three years was to actually put on size and bulk up like the Brisbane model, but the game has changed and it's now a more running game. We need our midfielders to be lean enough to sustain those efforts and Andrew had a little bit of weight to lose. He's been able to knuckle down. The coach has given him some pretty big jobs over the pre-season on Luke Power and Scott Burns, and he's done reasonably well. He's still got a long way to go to the top echelon - a Steven Baker level."

Leigh Montagna: "He hasn't missed a beat during the pre-season and I would think he should grow into a real top-liner this year. I think he's got a very good base behind him and there is no reason why he can't push into the midfield and become a little bit of an x-factor. He's got the ability to push forward and kick goals as well, with his pace and smarts. I'm not making any bold predications, but he's one in that middle tier that can really elevate this year. He's ready to go."

Andrew Thompson: He's been a 10-year player, so he's stood the test of time. We know what we're going to get from Andrew every week – a solid contest any time he takes the field. He's had a really, really good pre-season and he played terrifically well up in Cairns. Realistically, if we're relying on Robert Harvey and Andrew Thompson to be our top players we're not going to go too far, but Andrew's a firm contributor."